"The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John"

                              

Monday musical meditations on God's good news

  

 An opening prayer:

    Hark! The herald angels sing,

    “Glory to the newborn King;

    Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

    God and sinners reconciled!”

    Joyful, all ye nations rise,

    Join the triumph of the skies;

    With th’angelic host proclaim,

    “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

        Hark! the herald angels sing,

        “Glory to the newborn King!”

    Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;

    Christ the everlasting Lord;

    Late in time, behold Him come,

    Offspring of a virgin’s womb.

    Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

    Hail th’incarnate Deity,

    Pleased as man with us to dwell,

    Jesus our Emmanuel.

        Hark! the herald angels sing,

        “Glory to the newborn King!”

    Come, Desire of nations, come,

    Fix in us Thy humble home;

    Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,

    Bruise in us the serpent’s head.

    Now display Thy saving power,

    Ruined nature now restore;

    Now in mystic union join

    Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

        Hark! the herald angels sing,

        “Glory to the newborn King!”

    Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,

    Stamp Thine image in its place:

    Second Adam from above,

    Reinstate us in Thy love.

    Let us Thee, though lost, regain,

    Thee, the Life, the inner man:

    O, to all Thyself impart,

    Formed in each believing heart.

        Hark! the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Matthew 11:2–11

• “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
• ⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
• ⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
•  ⁹ “Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ ¹¹ I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

• helpful notes on Matthew 11:2–11

Good news questions

• How does Jesus handle your doubts as he handles John's?
• If Jesus can fulfill promises from Isaiah and do what no Old Testament prophet ever did, who is he?
• What would it mean to be greater than John the Baptist?

For others pray

• That God spreads the good news of the kingdom of the Son he loves in Malawi

J.S. Bach's beautiful music for today

• BWV 186 (YouTube, "Do Not Be Scandalized, My Soul")
• This cantata starts with us talking to ourselves:
• "Do not be shocked," we say, "that the highest light of all, God's splendor and image, would disguise himself in a slave's likeness."
• Just as Jesus reassured John with what he was doing, fulfilling promises from Isaiah 35, we remind ourselves,
• "My Savior lets himself be known in his deeds of grace."